Medical Coding Certifications

So a question that I get sometimes (especially during one of my Tiktok Lives) is about the different medical coding certifications. Now this is a lot to explain, but if you are someone who’s looking to get into the field and has not taken a coding course yet–please be sure that whatever course you take prepares you to take an exam from either AAPC or AHIMA. This is because these are the only 2 organizations that employers accept certifications from. (To watch my video about this instead, GO HERE).

There are schools out there and programs that prepare you to take an exam from the NHA (National Healthcare Organization). Employers do not hire people with medical coding certifications that are from the NHA. So please really consider this if you are looking at a coding program with certifications from here. I have people reach out to me all the time saying they took a course, got a coding certification from the NHA–and now can’t get a job because no one will hire them.

So there are some differences between AAPC and AHIMA. Both organizations are good and one is not “better” than the other. It just depends what you want to do. AHIMA certifications deal with more of the inpatient side of coding, while AAPC is more of the outpatient side.

I admit that I am a little biased and like AAPC better. (All of my coding certifications are from AAPC and I am an Educational Partner with AAPC). But if you’re unsure of which organization to go with–you can do a job search in your area and see what employers are looking for. I have found that most employers near me want AAPC certifications, but that might not be the case by you. So definitely do some research before signing up for a program.

The medical coding program that I teach prepares you to take the CPC exam from AAPC. This certification is broad and will test you on all sections of the ICD1-10-CM and CPT book. There are also questions on HCPCS (to get a full breakdown of what is on the exam GO HERE and scroll to the bottom of the page). But once you have this certification, you are good to go and can start looking for a job!

For more info about the medical coding training course that I teach GO HERE. My next course will start in January 2025.

Other things you may be interested in:

Tabs for the coding books

Exam prep for the CPC exam